The Room Where It Happened
by Theoretical-Optimist
Summary: Eileen Prince observes the induction of the first batch of Death Eaters as Tom Riddle lays out his plans to take over the wizarding world from within. Inspiration from Hamilton. Written for Round 6 of The Houses Competition (year two)


House: Gryffindor

Position: Year 7 (stand in for Round 6)

Category: Theme (Power)

Prompt: House Common Room

Word Count (excluding header and AN): 2124

Beta: Tigger

AN- Shay challenged me to incorporate themes from Hamilton in my Round 6 short and themed stories. This is a take on _The Room Where It Happens_. JK Rowling and Lin-Manuel Miranda are geniuses and I hope you enjoy my riff off of their work.

* * *

Eileen Prince had once again fallen asleep in a deserted corner of the Slytherin Common Room. She'd been up until nearly 2am for the last few weeks straight in a futile attempt to study for her O.W.L.s. Her father had made it painfully clear that he expected her to receive high passing grades in all of her subjects. Her last exam had been that afternoon and it had not gone well at all. She feared what would happen if she disappointed him yet again.

Eileen was suddenly roused from her repetitive dreams of Potion measurements and Charms wrist flicks. She realized that the fireplace had just been doused as a biting chill took over the common room. Blinking, she forced her eyes to adjust to the dim light that had entered the common room through the windows that looked out through the murky Black Lake.

She was just about to leave her temporary resting spot in favor of her much warmer dormitory when she heard whispers from across the room.

"My friends, I have gathered you all here tonight to discuss our future."

Eileen immediately recognized the speaker as Tom Riddle, the Headboy and magical prodigy. Every Slytherin looked up to him in awe for the amazing magic that he could wield. Every professor praised his brilliance. Well, every professor except for Professor Dumbledore. The Transfiguration Professor was noticeably weary of Tom's prowess.

"Speak, Tom. Share with us your thoughts," pleaded Corbin Lestrange.

Eileen was not a fan of Corbin. His family was close to hers and she felt certain that her father would be arranging their betrothal soon. But Corbin was always cruel to her; he recently stole her gobstones, making her ineligible to compete in the last tournament of the year.

Frankly, Corbin was cruel to almost everyone. He tormented those who he viewed as inferior, be it due to blood status, poverty, or gender. But Tom was among the few Hogwarts peers that Corbin revered. The boy with no apparent background had come to hold the respect of the Slytherin heirs of the Noble and Most Ancient Houses.

"Tonight, I seek your commitment to our cause. A show of your loyalty to me," Tom said.

"What is it you wish to do?" asked Edward Rosier.

"With your assistance, I wish to make the Wizarding World a better place. One in which people born into greatness have the power to effectuate real change," decreed Tom.

Edward commented, "And just how are you going to do that?"

"I plan on amassing many like-minded wizards who wish to maintain our proper place in society. There are rumors that Professor Merrythought will be stepping down in a few years. I plan to take over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and teach the future generation of magical students what really matters."

"And that is?" asked Edward.

Tom slammed his hand down on the table making the other occupants of the room jump. "Power! Power is all that matters. Power is what elevates us above the filthy Muggles. Power is what makes us strong."

"You're talking like Grindelwald, Tom," said Tywin Avery. "He wanted to be some sort of magical overlord over all the Muggles. Dumbledore just defeated him in a duel last month and his armies fell apart because they had no support."

"Grindelwald's ideals hold some merit." Eileen could hear an element of respect in Tom's voice. "But he went about it in the wrong way. He was too disorganized in his approach. What I suggest is that we implement our ideals by making changes throughout all areas of society. You all will inherit seats on the Wizengamot. Avery, your family has a controlling stake in Gringotts. Mulciber, you've been selected to enter Auror training after graduation. Rosier, I've heard rumors that you've been hired by the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"How do you know that?" asked Edward. "I just found out tonight!"

"I have my sources," replied Tom. "And that proves my point. By having people with our ideals involved and quickly put in charge of all areas of wizarding society, we can succeed in our objectives!"

"You know that I am behind you, Tom!" pledged Corbin.

"While I appreciate your pledges, perhaps we can make this arrangement a bit more permanent?" asked Tom.

"Whatever you wish, Tom!" Corbin promised. "I'm prepared to make the Unbreakable Vow to you right now."

"The Unbreakable Vow?" Edward whispered. "Must we be so hasty?"

"If you wish to back out now, Rosier," Tom hissed, "You are welcome to leave the common room and scurry off to your dormitory. But know this, I will remember those of you who began this journey with me and those of you who were too afraid to ensure our rightful place in the world."

"Our rightful place? As what?" asked Tywin, with more than a hint of trepidation in his voice.

"As rulers," Tom coolly replied. "We won't be able to take command right away. But by making your vows tonight and pledging yourselves to this noble cause, we can put the proper building blocks in place to ensure our success. Now I ask again, who is with me?"

Eileen dared to peek one eye over the back of the couch. She observed the boys standing, one by one, pledging their support and loyalty to Tom's idea. Eileen fought off a chill that passed through her body that had nothing to do with the temperature of the common room. She sensed that something truly sinister was just beginning.

"I ask you all to take a mark tonight to show that you are loyal to our cause. To show that you support having the right people in power and ruling over those who are unfit."

Corbin withdrew a dagger from his robe and sliced down his arm. "A blood vow?" he asked as the crimson fluid was already beginning to drip on the table. Eileen felt her stomach turn.

"Nothing as Muggle as a blood vow," Tom said. "I've been doing a little research in the restricted section. I came across an interesting spell for a Protean Charm."

Tywin chuckled. "You think a Protean Charm is interesting?"

Eileen barely saw Tom's arm move as he shot a jinx into Tywin's chest, knocking the air out of the other boy. "As I was saying, it is a Protean Charm that is embedded into your skin with Runespoor venom."

"Did you nick some venom from old Sluggy's office, Tom? Or he'd probably have just handed it over to his most prized student," Corbin said.

"Unfortunately, Professor Slughorn and I have had a bit of a falling out," Tom admitted. "But regardless, the venom needs to be fresh for the charm to become permanent."

Eileen watched Tom tilt his head backwards as if he were preparing to call out to someone. Or something. But the only sound that emitted from his mouth was a series of low hisses and snarls.

She observed the other boys cast sidelong glances at one another, wondering what was happening. The common room few utterly silent.

Just as Eileen reached her breaking point and was going to make her presence known, she saw slight movement out of the corner of her eye. Slowly, she turned her head to glance into the empty fireplace. She opened her mouth to scream, but she was too terrified for any noise to escape.

A three headed snake that must have been fifteen feet long slid down the stone walls and slithered across the floor. The enormous snake crawled up and over the couch where she lay hidden, but did not pause to pay her any attention.

Eileen was not a good student in Care of Magical Creatures—as her O.W.L. results would no doubt reveal—but she knew that at least one of the snake's heads should be evaluating her right now. But it seemed that the snake was solely focused on reaching Tom.

She heard gasps from the boys on the other side of the common room when they spotted the enormous reptile.

"Rune-Runespoor venom is poisonous. Do you mean to kill us, Tom?" asked Rosier, nervously.

"You are no good to me dead. I need you alive to fulfill my, no our, objectives. Now who will go first?" Tom asked.

"I will," Corbin volunteered.

"Very good, Lestrange. I shall remember this. Please stick out your left arm. This may hurt a little, but fear not, I have cast a silencing spell around the common room. No one outside of this room will hear a thing."

Eileen desperately wished she were outside the common room and not about to witness this horror.

She peered above the back of the couch once more. The Runespoor's three heads wound tightly around Corbin's forearm. With another hiss from Tom, the three heads struck as one.

Corbin's knees buckled as the venom rushed into his bloodstream. His shouts and cries of pain echoed off the dark stone walls.

The other boys watched in a combination of amazement and fear. Tom waved his wand over the serpent and hissed out an unknown spell.

And then suddenly it was over. The Runespoor uncoiled from Corbin's arm and he sagged to the floor.

Tom grasped the exposed forearm and cast a Lumos charm.

Eileen saw a brand—no, a tattoo—no, a dark mark seared to Corbin's flesh. As if that weren't terrifying enough, the mark moved as Tom prodded it. A slithering snake poured out of a skull's mouth and wound its way back inside.

"Thank you, Lestrange," Tom said as he dropped the arm. Corbin whimpered as he held his injured arm close to his chest.

One by one, Eileen watched as the remaining boys were marked. Edward Rosier screamed so loudly that Eileen feared the glass window holding back the Black Lake might shatter. When the venom of the Runespoor began to pulse through Mulciber's veins, the air in the common room took on the strong smell of urine. Last, Tywin Avery bit through his tongue but managed to remain silent throughout what Eileen could only describe as torture.

"My friends," Tom said, "I thank you for joining me on this quest."

"Aren't you going to mark yourself?" asked Rosier.

"There is no need for me to bear a mark. The beauty of the permanent Protean Charm is that these marks can be used for me to communicate with you when you are off doing our good work in the world. There's no need for you to contact me through a mark since you know where I will be. Here," he gestured around the common room, "at Hogwarts."

"Right where you can help our cause the most," Corbin agreed.

Eileen watched as the Runespoor coiled around Tom's shoulders. Its left head leaned in and began to hiss in his ear.

"My friends, it appears our discussion has been overheard."

"I thought you said that you silenced the common room," Mulciber said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"No one outside of this room is aware of what happened here tonight. When more people join our cause, they will only be able to assume what happened. But my pet has just informed me that there is a girl hiding over by the fireplace."

Eileen swallowed her gasp as the sound of stomping feet approached.

"It's just the Prince brat," sneered Corbin.

"What should we do, Tom?" asked Rosier.

"Eileen Prince," Tom said, "Do you share our ideals? Do you crave power? Do you wish to rid our world of those unfit to have magic and rule all those beneath you?"

"N-n-n-no," she stuttered. "I don't want any of that. Just let me go back to my dorm. I promise I won't say anything. I promise."

"Unfortunately, promises just aren't good enough. Either you are with us, or you are against us. Choose now," Tom ordered.

Eileen felt a jolt of fear pass through her. She had just witnessed this group of men, boys really, brand themselves with snake venom and agree to follow Tom as he took over the wizarding world. It was corrupt and perverse and she wanted nothing to do with it.

"No," she said firmly. "I won't follow you."

"Ah, hell," Corbin griped. "We can't just kill her. Her father is loaded and I know I can sway him to our cause. But not if his only heir is dead."

"Well, we can't have her go spilling our secrets either," Tywin pointed out.

"Leave it to me," Tom commanded. "No one outside of this room can be aware of what happened tonight. You have made your choice, Eileen Prince, and I will remember it even when you don't. _Obliviate!_ "

Click Boom


End file.
